Cayetano as Senate president; why him?

Losing vice presidential candidate, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano said that a consensus among senators on who will be the next Senate head is already established. But the question is, who shall take the top position?

On Saturday, Cayetano has already secured the endorsement of Senator-elect Manny Pacquiao as the latter affixed his signature on a resolution electing the former for the Senate presidency.

The draft resolution in Pacquiao’s hands on Senate leadership reads as “must match the people’s expectations for boldness, political will and efficient action, necessary to bring about real change in our people’s lives.”

Cayetano mentioned that it is safe to assume that all senators are interested to head the Senate. Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, partymate of the presumptive president under Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban), has always been open about his desire to the position.

Furthermore, current Senate President Franklin Drilon of the Liberal Party does not feel threatened and is likely to contest to hold his post, whereas Sen. Vicente Sotto III of the Nationalist People’s Coalition is also said to be in eyeing the Senate position.

Thirteen votes are needed from the 24-member upper chamber in order for a contender to be the Senate President. Cayetano revealed in previous reports that among the senators, there were already “15 individual commitments.”

When asked about his running mate’s take on the Senate presidency, Cayetano told reporters in an interview on Friday evening that Duterte didn’t want to discourse his choice.

“He (Duterte) doesn’t want to meddle with the independence of the Senate. But he’s also human, meaning that if you ask him directly, he also has a preference. And the senators already know that,” Cayetano revealed.

On the other hand, President-elect Rodrigo Duterte, noted that he was not endorsing Cayetano and that he was “hands off” when asked about his prospect for the Senate presidency.

“I have kept my distance there,” Duterte stated.

It can also be remembered that Duterte previously said he was eyeing Cayetano for the foreign affairs portfolio.